Her Only Sin
by inosentengtabonista
Summary: A SasuSaku. When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. Reviews are most welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Her Only Sin**

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Chapter 1 Black For Today

**Summary: **When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. [SasuSaku]

**Warning:** Major Spoilers ahead.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters.

* * *

A certain pink-haired kunoichi woke up with a start.

She was awake before she knew it and the taste of salt and water lingered in her mouth.

The effort it took to rouse her body from its drowsy state was enormous and after several seconds of aimless pondering, her mind seemed to have finally caught up with her body. Sakura sat up on her bed and wiped the sides of her eyes.

It was a long time since she cried, much more cry in her sleep. The dream was one she could not even remember, but, she was fairly sure, it was the same dream that had been lingering in her mind in the past years and it did not anymore matter. The 17-year-old medic nin yawned and stretched her hands upwards then blinked. She turned to the clock beside her bed. It was only six o'clock in the morning.

She groggily pushed the sheets and went out of her bed. Sleep was knocking once again, but she was determined to ignore it. As she opened her closet, she slowly surveyed her clothes, looking for the outfit she had in mind the previous night. For the first time in quite a long time, she decided to forego her usual red outfits.

It was black for today.

* * *

The day proved to be more than just long.

As Sakura was in charge of the hospital for the specific day, she started doing her follow-ups at eight and, eight hours later, she was still barking orders at the resident medics. Coincidentally, the day she took charge of the hospital was the day most of the missions were completed. Before noon, Sakura already had her hands full. By mid-afternoon, she was still handling patients. The worst was yet to come.

One of their medic nins brought a man whose chakra system was almost burnt out. Sakura took one thorough look at him and saw that his heartbeat was irregular. He was in a state of coma.

"He's been poisoned." she said. "Actually," she explained, turning to her assistants. "That is only how it seems. In fact almost every single cell in his body has been severed- I'm guessing a wind jutsu was used against him."

Her assistants nodded vigorously, eyeing the man with concern and pity. Sakura's hands expertly performed the needed jutsu. Gathering a precise amount of chakra into her hand, Sakura began her operation.

"It will be impossible to completely heal him, still-" she gave her assistants a determined smile, "let's do our best."

It took her two gruelling hours just to stabilize him, and by then, the fatigue already sunk in.

Sakura left the man under the care of one resident medic nin and went to their quarters. Without another thought, she threw herself on the nearest bunk. Forcefully shutting her eyes close, Sakura could still see faint glimmers of light, When she opened them again, she thought she saw her chakra moving out of her body. She tried to force herself to a nap.

She couldn't.

Strengthening her resolve, Sakura covered her head with a pillow and lapsed into a dreamless state.

* * *

When she woke up, it was even worse. Her head pounded heavily and she had to steady herself to be able to walk to the door. Sakura paused before going out and massaged her temples. She checked the time. It was almost six o'clock.

She went to check on the critically injured patients, then proceeded to the records office to update their data. She sat on the desk and flipped open the first folder. Just as she was about to proceed to her second folder, the door burst open.

"Sakura-chan!"

Salvation seemed to have knocked right at Sakura's door and it was all she could do to stop herself from embracing her teammate, whose voice seemed to be her only source of comfort amidst the chaos. She immediately went to Naruto.

"Shall we go?" he began. "I'm starving!"

Sakura smiled, her exhaustion suddenly forgotten. "And I feel like I can eat more than twice your apetite right now, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned. "Shall we bet on that?"

* * *

At the corner of Konoha's busiest streets was a small pub that came to life mostly at night. It was one of the town's favourite spot where ninjas gather to share stories and relax. Naruto and Sakura went there mostly during the last day of the week, sometimes along with the others. Most of the time, it was just the two of them, talking and relating to each other what they did during the week.

"Oi!"

Sakura and Naruto turned to find Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji and Lee.

They invited the pair to sit with them.

"We'll need one more table." Shikamaru said and asked for an additional table and drinks.

When they were all settled, they began to share their stories. Drinks began to flow and laughter and light-hearted banter soon filled the air. A lot of them occasionally stood up to greet another acquaintance coming in. Soon, the place was brimming with people.

Sakura looked around the table listening and sharing her stories at the same time. At one point she laughed out loud when Neji dropped a particularly nasty comment about Lee's tireless spiel about the springtime of youth. She was buried beneath their raucous laughter and boisterous arguments but Sakura couldn't care less. She was with her friends. For that alone, she was grateful.

It was already past two o'clock in the morning when they all decided to call it a night. Ino went to Sakura and embraced her. It was a long time before they broke apart to finally say goodbye.

"You've been dreaming those again, I presume," Ino gently told her. "It's been exactly five years, Sakura." Then she added as an afterthought, "Grieve no longer."

The words were pregnant with meaning and they were not lost upon the medic-nin. Sakura clutched her friend even more tightly.

When they broke apart, Ino looked at her. "It's about time."

Sakura gave her a half-smile and there was a silent understanding between the closest of friends.

Shikamaru took Ino home and Naruto, although a bit tipsy walked his teammate to her apartment.

When they arrived at her doorstep, she bid him good night.

"Good night Naruto-kun. Be careful not to fall into any manholes, okay?"

Naruto nodded absentmindedly. Sakura then went inside her house.

"Sakura-chan."

She stopped.

"We will all be together again," he assured her, then, more forcefully, "I promise."

She nodded weakly and sauntered distractedly into her apartment the shut the door behind her.

Naruto took this as a signal for him to leave, but he stopped dead in his tracks. As if realizing something, he dashed to her door.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called reluctantly. "Are you-?"

Alcohol has tainted his senses but he was not immune to her crying. As he pressed his forehead against her wooden door, he heard her small sobs. The tears came even though, as always, she willed them not to. Every time it did, the pain became as fresh as it was before and the years did nothing to heal the wounds that left her bleeding.

"Naruto-kun," was all she was able to say. Her sobs echoed loudly across the dark house and for a moment, Naruto wondered if they would ever be loud enough to be heard by the very person who caused her this much pain.

Naruto stayed silent.

"Today is...today...I can't..." she broke into tears again. There was no denying how much their team meant to her, how much she had come to love the avenger who chose his own path at a very tender age.

Naruto clenched his fists tightly they almost bled. He slid down the porch, and sat on the opposite side of the door until he felt her calm down.

She needed some time for herself.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Only Sin**

**Chapter 2 Back from the Dead**

**Summary: **When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. [SasuSaku]

**Warning:** Major Spoilers ahead.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters.

* * *

It was not only Naruto.

The suggestion first came from Shikamaru, who told her to give herself some time. She was still as efficient as ever, but she was tired. And it would be too troublesome if she broke down one day.

Ino basically said the same thing. She has "lost that sparkle" in her eyes, she told the Godaime. And, she was tempted to add, it has been what, five long years since_ that day, _which she swore her best friend had not gotten over with. There was no need to belabour the obvious.

Five years after that day, the wound was still fresh.

That, along with a lot of other factors, such as the need to update medical developments with other countries and disseminating new information to the other villages was precisely the reason why Sakura was walking under the scorching heat of the sun, headed to the Hidden Cloud Village where she was to stay in the cabin of one of the Godaime's contacts.

A couple of miles after, she was ready to give up.

The heat penetrated her skin and the coat she was wearing did nothing to alleviate the suffering she was feeling. She quickly took her coat off and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

_And this village is called Cloud. _She thought sarcastically.

As she hastily sauntered in the village, a large, green thing caught her eye and her instincts worked fast. Dignity forgotten, Sakura scrambled towards the first tree she found, and instantly went under its shade. She fished her bag for a jug of water and drank her fill.

"Sakura!"

The water regrettably blasted into the space before she could even drink it up. Recovering quickly, the pink-haired kunoichi wiped her mouth with her sleeve and turned to where she heard her name.

A kid about half her age stood beside her, staring at her as if she was some kind of specimen.

She smiled almost absent-mindedly at the kid. Did he just call people 'Sakura' at random-?

"They said long hair with the colour of this gum!" The kid happily chirped. He stuck his tongue out. True enough, there was a gum.

A pink one.

Sakura patted the kid on the head fondly as if to reward him.

There were interesting times ahead.

* * *

The cabin was not far from where the kid found her, and Sakura found the place quite amiable. The people were accommodating and friendly, and the manager was a young bespectacled woman called Okoi whose timidity reminded her of Hinata. The gum-kid who, as she discovered was called Touya, somehow resembled Konohamaru.

Sakura suddenly missed Konoha.

As Okoi led her to her place, Sakura inspected her surroundings. The cabin that was reserved for her, as Okoi told her, was situated at the back of the inn that they also owned. She owed much to Shizune-san.

"We're here, Sakura-san."

Sakura looked at the cabin with scrutinizing eyes. Surrounded by trees and foliage, the cabin itself seemed a refreshing lodge. At the very least, Sakura was grateful for the privacy. As Okoi twisted open the door knob and led her inside the cabin, she instantly swept a glance at the room that was to be her abode for the next week. There was a bed by the window, and to her right was a bathroom.

She immediately took a liking to it.

After unpacking her suitcase and setting her clothes on the cabinet, Sakura took off at once. To hell with vacations, she thought. She planned to begin her medical inquest as soon as possible.

To make things a lot easier for her, Shizune had already coordinated with all the medical practitioners in the village of Cloud. In fact, she even tasked a medic-nin from the village to assist Sakura with anything she will need. All she has to do is to meet with them, and share her expertise.

Their first meeting was held in one of the local schools of the village. When she arrived, they had already gathered themselves. They could not have been any happier with her visit.

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura turned to find a woman behind her.

"My name is Ayako. Shizune-san spoke to me regarding your inquiry." She explained. "I will be assisting you."

"Oh!" Sakura nodded in understanding, and then smiled. "It's a pleasure to be working with you then, Ayako-san."

Everything went smoothly. Among the twenty people present, Sakura found no one disagreeable. Most of them were just a year or two older than her, and it was easy teaching them. She found that she was enjoying herself.

The next days were just as enjoyable. She taught them how to handle patients, how to position them, how to channel the right amount of chakra to affected areas, how to keep the poison in a bubble and how to extract poison from the different parts of the body. After five days of lecture, they moved to the local hospital. They were almost ready for some practice.

The first patient was a child whose arm was swollen because of insect poison. Sakura began her extraction.

"Remember," she said while gathering chakra in her right hand, "to needle out the poison in small amounts. And you immediately put it here." She indicated the water bubble beside her. "Who wants to go first?"

A young man stepped forward. "Let me."

Sakura nodded and gave way to him.

He had problems with chakra control, but he was able to extract much of the poison. Sakura was content with the way things were going. They were learning fast. She asked for another volunteer the finish the extraction and they were all excited to do the next patient. What seemed like a hard task was now very achievable.

Before they were able to go to the next patient, Sakura felt a small tug at her sleeve.

"Sakura!"

It was the gum-kid, Touya.

"A large man near the border! There are large black flames around him!"

Sakura gasped.

_Black flames...?_

She made up her mind at once. "Ayako-san, i'll leave this to you. I'll be back!"

Ayako looked confused but nodded quickly. Sakura turned to Touya.

"Lead me to him!"

* * *

By the time they arrived at the scene, the flames had already weakened, but a man lay there, lifeless.

Her medical instincts working furiously, Sakura stood a couple of feet away from him, evaluating the damage and the dangers. When she sensed none, she went immediately to him.

She almost cursed.

The man seemed beyond repair. Like one of her patients back in Konoha, his chakra system was burnt. He has incurred a lot of damage from the fire which she surmised-he was only able to barely escape. He had been directly hit with a weapon on his stomach, and is suffering from an intense blunt force trauma which resulted to ruptured organs. His face was a mosaic of black and blue and red, and Sakura felt emotions sail inside her- pity and anger at the one who did this to him.

Checking his pulse, she breathed a sigh of relief when she found that there were still signs of life.

"I will heal him here." Sakura began, "in his current state, it would be too dangerous to move him too much."

With Touya behind her, she began the healing process. Most medic-nins would have deemed his case as a lost cause, but for someone with her qualifications, it will be an arduous process, but he could be healed. Sakura began by gathering chakra into both her hands and healing the area that incurred the most damage: his stomach. She will only heal as much and proceed to the next less damaged area in order that they may be able to transport him to the hospital.

After she applied her chakra to his stomach, she proceeded to heal his hands.

She gasped when she saw his hands.

There were large holes in both of his palms.

Sakura cursed inwardly. Suspicions began to flood her mind.

_He is a missing nin. I only wish that he is not in any way..._

Sakura reached for his neck.

There, she found, a mark she had only been too familiar with.

She was healing one of Orochimaru's experiments.


	3. Chapter 3

**Her Only Sin **

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Chapter 3 Former Teammates

**Summary: **When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. [SasuSaku]

**Warning:** Major Spoilers ahead.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters.

* * *

A day later, he began to stir to life.

Most of his organs were healed by now, but the damage had been too great. He was already stabilized, but he will have to refrain from fighting or any activity that will entail releasing chakra.

He blinked his eyes open.

Sakura was amazed to find two jade irises like hers stare back at her. She smiled at him.

"Don't move yet-"

He sat up straight before Sakura can even finish. He continued to scrutinize the pink haired kunoichi in front of him. Then he said in a hoarse voice , "Where did you find me?"

"Across the border," Sakura answered. "You are in the Hidden Village of Cloud right now." She paused. "You were severely damaged. I won't advise you to fight any time soon."

He nodded distractedly, still not taking his eyes off her.

"By the way," she said, "My name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

It was as if he did not hear her.

"What is your name?"

As if annoyed by her attempt at small talk, he shrugged and answered. "Jugo."

Sakura raised a brow as if to ask for his last name.

"Just...Jugo."

Silence reigned. Still staring at her warily, he did not seem to find rest at all. Sakura almost blushed at the way he continued to stare at her that she was forced to look away, then began to restlessly tap her fingers on her knee. But she was not satisfied with his answers. She jumped at the chance to question him.

"You are from Orochimaru's base." It was not a question. It was a mere show of knowledge meant to send him off track. He stared at her still, unblinking. "You must have met someone with the name Sasuke."

At this, his expression tightened as if he could not breathe. Sakura's forehead creased at his reaction. She decided to probe further. "Uchiha Sasuke." The name sounded foreign to her ears, and it had been such a long time since she mentioned his name so casually.

His eyebrows meeting, the man with green eyes asked, "Who are you?"

"I've told you already."

"No, who are you really?" The man called Jugo seemed to be in a quandary and Sakura looked at him straight. His forehead creased deep and she was suddenly amused at how transparent he was with his emotions. "You healed me. Just like that..." Sakura thought that was gratitude in his voice, but it must have been admiration. "I mean, I thought I was...dead. Besides," he paused, eyes searching her. "you know Sasuke." Another pause. "Are you his...lover?"

Sakura almost choked on air itself. "No, I-" She groped for words. "I'm also from Konoha. We were teammates back then." She wondered for a moment if she was giving away too much information. "I heard he killed Orochimaru."

A nod.

"Then he must have freed you."

Another nod.

"Are you teammates?"

Jugo made a half-smile as if he cheated on fate itself. "Back then."

Sakura smiled wryly, unconsciously tapping her fingers on her lap.

"He killed Orochimaru, then saved me." He was still looking at her, but something in his eyes seemed different. The memories of Sasuke saving him suddenly seemed to have been pleasant for him. "If he wanted to take my life, I'll let it be."

Her heart pounded within her chest. Her eyes widened in the sudden realization of how much different Sasuke must be from the boy he was in Konoha, to the man he has become. To have commanded such loyalty was overwhelming. But to have attempted to kill a former teammate was detestable. Sakura winced at the thought that he also did the same to her and Naruto almost two years ago. He seemed to have a penchant for killing former teammates.

"He's killed his brother too." Sakura muttered to no one in particular. "Then he did this to you." Sakura waited for the words to sink in before charging again. "You don't know how close you've come to death itself-"

"I don't think you fully understand, Sakura-san."

Sakura clenched her fists firmly. "You were beaten within an inch of your life." Sakura wanted to shake him out of his reverie. "It is you who does not understand. He used you then disposed of you."

"Sasuke gave us a new life." Jugo countered without hesitation, speaking his name with complete reverence. "And as I've said before, he can take it whenever he wants to." Sakura shook her head in disbelief. Jugo continued to stare at her, a half smile slowly forming on his lips.

"This is crazy." Sakura mumbled to herself.

Jugo was unruffled as he stared at her unblinkingly. There was no way of knowing what thoughts fill that mind of his. The kunoichi sighed in resignation. "Then why did he turn on you?"

A strange look came on his face, then he began to speak.

* * *

She wasn't the least bit surprised when she checked on him the next day, and found him already gone.

Heaving a sigh, Sakura massaged her temples. She just let one of the clues to Sasuke's whereabouts loose. She sat on the bed and composed herself.

_When will you move on?_

She shook her head sadly. It seemed an impossible feat. Standing up to get herself a glass of water downstairs, she froze without warning.

There was a sound by the window.

Sakura swiftly turned then gasped.

About twenty or so birds of different colors and sizes were tapping on the window glass. She smiled then opened the window. It was exhilarating. She allowed herself a few idle moments then, just gazing at the wonder of nature as the birds perched on her finger. As she took in the beauty of the scene before her, she noticed one bird with an almost unnatural shade of pink. It slowly approached her, and dangling on its beak was a flower.

A cherry blossom.

Sakura could not help but gasp at the coincidence. As it perched itself on her shoulders, she felt warmth blossom within her. She took the cherry blossom and gazed at its exquisite beauty. Apparently it was not in season yet, and as such, it would have been impossible to find such flower. The birds must have come from somewhere far away. Yet there was no explaining how they could have found her, much less hand her a cherry blossom. Unless, of course...

She found herself smiling while the birds sang to her.

Oddly enough, they reminded her of dark green eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Her Only Sin**

* * *

Chapter 4 The First Victim

**Summary: **When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. [SasuSaku]

**Warning:** Major Spoilers ahead.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters.

* * *

It was early evening when she finally decided to rest.

As it was not yet too dark as of the moment, she simply dumped her bag by the corner of her room and began taking off her clothes. The hot shower was the best way to wash away all stress from the day, and after half an hour of relaxation, Sakura finally emerged from the hot shower and stood by the sink, staring at her image by the mirror.

She forgot to cut her hair shorter. It had now grown inches past her shoulder, but there was no reason to grow them long, unlike five or six years back. There were lines under her eyes, but compared to how she looked back in Konoha, she looked much better now. She inhaled deeply. Although her visit to other countries seemed to be helping in that she was doing something new other than just going to missions and passing by the Uchiha main house, she still dreamt of him. No day passed without her ever thinking of him, wishing that he was happy wherever he was.

_This is unhealthy, _she mentally berated herself. _And you call yourself a medic nin. You're slowly killing yourself..._

Letting out a long sigh, she grabbed the bathrobe from side of the sink and quickly slid it on. It was getting cold. When she pulled the door and came out of the bathroom, she was grateful for the sudden rush of air that greeted her.

It was too late when she sensed another presence in the room.

There was a brief moment of deja vu and Sakura froze to the spot when she realised that she did not need to see who it was. She unconsciously clutched the bathrobe that was the only piece of covering she had.

"Sakura."

Tension filled her entire body and threatened to immobilize her. Unable to move or breathe, she didn't realize that she almost stopped breathing.

He always had that effect on her.

"How long have you been here?" she managed to ask. He must have traced her chakra from the border...

There was almost an audible smirk in his voice when he spoke. "Long enough."

She was glad it was dark. Her cheeks must have been several shades darker than her hair. She let out the air she'd been holding for too long. She must not show fear.

Combing her fingers slowly through her hair, she said quietly. "What do you want?"

"Is that the way you greet a former teammate?"

Ignoring his question as well as the steady gaze he gave her, she walked calmly to her cabinet, opened it and took a new set of clothes. Then, completely ignoring his presence, she took off her robe and began to put on a shirt and a pair of pants as casually as she could. Eyebrows lifting slightly, the Uchiha watched his former teammate's back with a hint of surprise and something he couldn't quite explain. He felt something rise in him as he let his eyes roam over the medic nin's body while allowing himself a modicum of indecency. He didn't mind tracing her curves with his eyes.

"I have many ways of answering that question." The mockery in her voice only rivalled his.

Her back still turned to him, Sakura closed the cabinet offhandedly and turned to face him while leaning on it still. Sasuke stood up from the edge of her bed where he sat and made his way slowly towards her. Stopping just an inch from her, he looked down and stared at her hard.

"Tell me what is wrong with my eyes."

Sakura raised a brow, but was not the least surprised. After all the years of him cutting their bonds and betraying Konoha, he had the guts to enter her room unbidden and have his eyes checked. The urge to lie to him built slowly inside her and she hesitated before she finally decided to just tell him the truth. There was no way she would say it out loud, but she never hated him even when he attacked her two years before or even when he tried to kill Naruto or even when he betrayed the village.

Upon seeing his eyes, Sakura immediately knew the problem.

"The nerve cells around your eyes are strained, some chakra paths are even messed up." explained the medic-nin. "Your eyesight is deteriorating fast."

He did not budge. "Can you heal it?"

She knew this was coming. Without missing a beat she answered, "It cannot be completely healed. All I can do is delay the deterioration." Sakura hesitated, then, "Will you sit somewhere comfortable?"

Wordlessly, Sasuke moved towards the edge of the bed. Sakura stood directly in front of him, then positioned her hands on either side of his temples.

"Look straight ahead."

Sakura began the healing process. She could not have been more accurate. His nerve cells were a mess, as were the chakra paths. Slowly but steadily, she began feeding his chakra paths with her own chakra.

"Do they bleed?"

Sasuke looked at her for a moment. "Aa."

For the life of her, she was happy that some things had not changed about him.

"You shouldn't use your eyes too much," she reminded him. "You should at least let it rest after use. It might cause your blindness."

She let the words hang for a moment.

He sat unblinking as her chakra entered his body. He had thought of this before, and that was precisely the reason why he was here-with _her_ of all people. Although they detected her chakra with the help of Karin, he already knew she was in the Village of Cloud even before Karin told him. Word about her spread fast like a raging forest fire wherever she went, and it was, more or less, because of the distinction she held as the protege of the Godaime and, notwithstanding, because of the distinction of her strawberry colored hair. But more than that, it was because she had the kind of confidence that only a student of the legendary sannin could possess and at the same time, she bore the humility that was rare of a woman of her caliber. And she was a beauty, but what was more appealing about her, was that she did not seem to notice.

The five years that they were not together had turned the girl who used to practically worship the ground he walked on into a woman. He regarded her form silently. Her hair was still carelessly tousled to wherever they may land, but they framed her oval face perfectly. She had grown taller, her legs had grown longer. He almost smiled to himself as he remembered how she had taken off her clothes, unaware of his presence.

Unfortunately for her, it was all going to be a waste.

She was merely a tool, the absolute symbol of his emancipation from the past bonds that he has forever left behind.

"Is everything how you planned it to be after defeating your brother?" asked Sakura.

The air around the room suddenly became heavier. It seemed that she had hit home. Unable to speak, he remained silent. Undaunted by the sudden change of his aura, Sakura went on.

"I see." She said briefly, no emotions lacing her voice. "You have come here to continue what you almost did when you left Konoha, when we saw each other at the Sound."

From there on, everything happened quickly.

Adrenaline must have pushed it, but Sakura quickly formed seals that only Tsunade-shishou knew besides herself. It was the quickest she had done in the seventeen years of her being a kunoichi, and it was reserved only for this purpose. Her hands touched lightly on his temple, and before Sasuke could even react, she was already done.

She then jumped a couple of steps backward, watching him closely.

Sasuke felt a slightly numbing pain around his eyes, and when he opened them again, he first saw his former teammate a few meters away from him, eyeing him with a cold stare.

"You wouldn't be able to use your sharingan."

He stood on his feet. "I do not need my sharingan to kill you, Sakura."

"I see."

Sasuke gritted his teeth at her coldness. He'd give her exactly what he came for if that was what she wanted.

Molding a wild amount of chakra into his hand, Sasuke then began forming Chidori into a sword. Sakura stood, unruffled as he did this, and this annoyed him all the more. Closing the small space between them, Sasuke advanced to Sakura with his sword in hand. Sakura immediately docked to avoid his sword and swiftly planted a senbon on his nape. He removed it as quickly as she had put it and attacked her fiercely. His blade slashed through her shoulder and she cringed at the pain.

Her blood spilt on the floor. She quickly checked on her shoulder.

_Shit._

He seemed to be at least ten times faster than he was back in Konoha. Without stopping to breath, Sasuke attacked her again but this time, she suddenly disappeared from before him, and reappeared on his back. She delivered a swift chop to his nape, and then hit his side with just the right amount of chakra to damage his internal organs. His blade shortened as he almost lost his footing, but he did not let on. He decided to forego the sword. At the rate this was going, it seemed a liability if her punches kept coming. Just as she hit him with her fist he caught her wrist and responded with a stronger blow to the stomach. Sakura responded with a punch but he had already moved behind her. The wall quickly turned to rubble the moment her fist hit it.

Annoyed, Sakura turned with a kick but he quickly evaded it. Grabbing her shirt, he threw her to the other side of the wall.

He was about to finish the handseals of a jutsu when Sakura threw a dresser in his direction. He quickly evaded it, which was just enough time for her to close in the space between them and pummel his stomach. Evading his next punch, she delivered a kick to his neck. His face contorted in pain, and for a moment, before he was to receive another kick in the shin, he wondered at how strong she had become.

At this, before he could try to do anything, he rapidly, unexpectedly crashed to the floor. Though he was able to remove the senbon the moment it was planted, the poison had already seeped in. His limbs failed him and though he could still move his right hand, and he can still speak, he couldn't move the rest of his body.

A kunai came out of nowhere, and as he lay down the floor, the pink-haired kunoichi went to him and grabbed him by his collar tightly. She pushed the kunai to the side of his neck. Blood oozed from the wound, but it seemed he did not feel anything.

Jugo's words came ringing in her ears as she held her former teammate beneath her.

"_He plans to crush not only the two elders, but the entire village." He said after explaining what he knew of the fight that transpired between the brothers. "He must think you are all accomplices to the misfortune of his clan."_

_Sakura's breath hitched, as the color drained from her face._

"_I-I don't think I..." She suddenly combed her fingers through her hair and laughed dryly. "This is crazy." She blurted out, shaking her head in disbelief. To say that she was shocked was an understatement. She was scandalized by the revelation. _

_Jugo stared at her. "You told me you were former teammates."_

_Sakura nodded absently. _

"_You must know him better." Jugo prodded her. _

_Sakura felt words fail her. "I know nothing. He has..." she groped for the right words. "He has changed." _

_He was not disheartened. "You might just be able to do what I have failed to..."_

"_This is crazy," Sakura said for the third time that day believing it more and more as the conversation went on and shook her head vigorously. "For all I know, you might be playing with me-"_

"_But I almost died by his hands." He spoke calmly. "I don't have any good reason to lie to you. It is the truth, Sakura-san." Then, almost to himself, "He might destroy himself."_

The moment Jugo told her about it, she thought of informing the Godaime, but she could not even bring herself to do it. She wanted to stop him with her own might, and she will. Sakura then looked at the man who lay beneath her. He had attacked her, mocked her, used her, and did it with blatant disregard for the fact that they were former teammates.

Even then, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Though he was in a position of disadvantage, he smirked haughtily.

"Having second thoughts?"

"You are mad," she hissed, the incredulity of what he was planning to accomplish overwhelming her. "You will never get anything by taking revenge. You are just finding someone else to blame."

"Konoha will fall by my hands, Sakura. And I will let no one-" His face revealed nothing but determination- and hatred. "hinder my plans." He was buying his time as he made an attempt to move his legs yet his former teammate did not seem to notice.

"And I," Sakura added ruefully. "I am to be your first victim. Is that it?" she hissed, bile rising up to her throat. She felt like gagging. "You just missed the point of your brother's sacrifice."

"On the contrary," he said, "I respect my brother's sacrifice. But his life is more important to me than the entire village."

"And what of us?" She retorted, her voice louder than she wanted it to be. "Do you deem us as accomplices?" she grabbed him roughly by the collar and shook him. "Is that what you think of us?" she began to assault him with her questions through gritted teeth. Her voice betrayed the magnitude of the anger she felt at the moment. "Is that how it is? Do you think that we enjoyed peace while your brother was condemned for a crime that was actually an order?"

Sasuke trained his eyes on her. "Do you deny that, Sakura?" His face was a deadpan. "You lived in peace while the fate of our clan was sealed that fateful night the orders were carried out."

"And you are justified into thinking that we are all accomplices, when your brother carried out his duty wilfully?"She snapped emotions raw in her voice.

"You are all nothing more than accomplices," he said with a burning hatred, then, completely forgetting himself, the words came out thoughtlessly. There was a tremor in his voice. "Why don't I just kill everyone you ever cared for, Sakura?" snapped the Uchiha. The weight of his words did not escape her. "Maybe then you'll know how much I've been through."

At this Sakura lost all restraint. The irrepressible longing to bring her palm to his cheek finally overtook her. In the blink of an eye, her left hand shot up only to meet his steel like grip. But her reflexes got better of her. Kunai forgotten, her right hand almost automatically went up after he caught her left wrist.

She slapped him hard.

Just as quickly as she slapped him, she put her hands down as tears welled up in her eyes, and for a moment she wondered why she always had to break down and cry in front of him. She was the one whose kunai was up to the Avenger's neck, but she was the one crying like a child before him. Sasuke's eyes never left hers. He silently struggled to move his left hand.

"Is that what you want?" said Sakura, emotions mixing up inside her. "Then kill my parents! Kill Naruto, kill Ino, Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-shishou! Kill everyone in Konoha! Then after you're through with them, kill yourself! Maybe then I'll know what hatred is."

Despite himself, Sasuke felt himself stiffen as he heard those words. "You are weak, Sakura."

In a quick series of movements, Sasuke took advantage of the situation and grabbed her wrist. Seconds later, he was able to reverse the situation and it was his former teammate who lay beneath him. Sasuke pressed the kunai against her throat.

"You could never have killed me."

* * *

**To be continued. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Her Only Sin**

**Chapter 5: Her Only Sin**

**Summary: **When Sasuke left Konoha, he left Sakura with scars. As their paths converge again in an unexpected meeting, a dialogue occurs- and so much more. [SasuSaku]

**Warning:** Major Spoilers ahead.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or its characters.

* * *

Cold steel pressed against her skin and she felt blood begin to trickle down her throat.

He held both her arms above her head and she felt as helpless as a lamb. Had death not stared her in the face, she would've laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She was so close to killing him and ending her pain once and for all just minutes ago but she was too weak to even try to. And now that he was about to kill her, she felt her stupidity finally rebound.

But it was too late for regrets now.

Still she held on to dear pride as if she was holding on to her life itself. Even in her last moments in front of her former teammate, she resolved not to falter.

Yet strangely enough she felt nothing- not a single ounce of pain, regret, or the urge of saying her last words. No memory came to mind. It seemed that deep within her, she was content to die by his hands.

It seemed a fine ending for her really, if only the entirety of Konoha would never know either one of two things: that she did not let them know about his planned attack on the village because she boldly intended to kill him with her own might and play the heroine, or she simply betrayed them by not sending a warning about his plans for sheer love of the Uchiha that was dangerously tipping towards the mentally impaired side.

_I'm an idiot,_ she conceded.

Here she was, with death only inches away from her as she lay beneath her former teammate in cabin miles away from home, yet her last thoughts contained nothing poetic or even reminiscent or regretful.

His grasp tightened on her unmoving form and when Sakura looked at him, his face was an indecipherable mask. Sakura met his gaze squarely with nothing but defiance.

"Kill me, Sasuke," mocked the Kunoichi. "You don't have trouble killing former teammates, right? After all-" Her throat was dry and it was becoming hard for her to speak. "We are nothing but stepping stones to you. Tools, if you want it that way," she smiled sardonically at him. There was nothing to lose. "So," droned Sakura, "can I tell you my last words? After all, they concern you."

She paused for a second, searching his face but there was nothing to be found.

She closed her eyes tightly as if to savour the moment, and then opened them again. Her bright emerald green eyes shone with fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at him. He did not move an inch. His face seemed like a sculpture frozen in time, and whether he simply had nothing to tell her or she did not matter much to him or both, she did not know, nor did she care.

A smile formed on her lips, but did not reach her eyes.

"Even now, I can't seem to hate you."

There was an audible pause, and then he spoke coldly as if to dismiss her. "Is that all?"

Sakura gulped silently and closed her eyes, this time, to meet her death. She nodded weakly.

Suddenly, the Uchiha let go of the kunai. Sakura made a grab for it and tried to move out of her position but he held her firmly and threw the kunai out of reach.

He crouched down her neck, and then licked the blood on her neck.

Every cognitive, logical and rational portion of her brain seemed to shut down at his sudden action. Sakura struggled for her own breath the moment she felt his tongue on her skin yet he paid no heed to the muffled sounds she made as she tried to push him away.

"Sasuke!" she gasped, panic gripping her. She planted both her palms firmly on his chest but her own strength failed her.

And it only made him tighten his grasp on her more so that he slipped his hand under her shirt, and stroked her side, only inches away from immorality. He traced his tongue to her jaw and claimed her lips.

Her thoughts quickly turned to the senbon. She was fairly sure that the poison contained no aphrodisiac.

Her thoughts rapidly dissipated when she felt his tongue sweep across her mouth. Sakura groaned in protest, but it only gave him the entrance he sought. The kiss overpowered her until she could struggle no more; it seemed that he gave his all in that kiss that it was desperate and erotic and that was what she always needed, wanted. The tingling sensation in her stomach did little to explain what Sakura was feeling at the moment, sensations she did not even know existed.

He pulled away quickly, surprised at how he lost himself in that moment of insanity. Sakura inwardly trembled, her eyes not quite ready to meet his. A blush began to stain her cheeks and as he stared down at her, bathed in the moonlight, he felt that rush of desire overpower him again but his mind was racing. He could just ruin her future.

The irony was not lost upon him. What he was worrying about now was exactly what he planned when he came here.

He had planned to make her his first victim, the proof of his hatred for Konoha, of his severed bonds.

Instead, he found himself face to face with the reason why he almost changed his mind before leaving the village, why he'd violate any rule the moment he hears her scream. She was an enigma, she can reverse the cursed seal just by touching him, and he never wondered out loud how she could affect him so much, how he imagined her smile, her voice every time he sees pink.

It annoyed him.

Yet he found himself tracing her chakra, even listening to rumours about the medic nin and he hated himself for it.

She was an aggravation.

In this moment of contemplation, Sasuke looked at her, his eyes seemingly darker with desire, fury and lust. Sakura met his gaze and shuddered with anticipation as she saw his eyes clouded with lust, and something she couldn't quite place. Against her will, she reached out and guided her hands through his face. She traced his lips with her thumb, and slowly, quietly, pulled him to her and grazed her lips against his.

The motion was so gentle, so pure, but as she pressed her body against his, he knew he would not be able to rationalize any longer.

There was no thought to the action. The moment was for him, she was his for the taking. His lips slowly left hers, and slowly made its way down to the base of her throat, tracing hot circles of fire on her bare skin. Using the kunai by his side, he tore off her shirt and began an exploration of her body. No part of her was left untouched. He devoured her with his gaze, his kisses, and his touch until he filled every inch of her with fire. Sakura trembled at the sensation. Her moans and gasps and his ragged breathing filled the air and her skin was so soft against his that for a moment he was afraid she might have bruised.

He claimed her lips once again and interlocked his fingers with hers.

Sakura gently combed her hands through his raven hair and pulled him harder against her.

_Tomorrow, _she thought,_ tomorrow, I'll pay for this. But for now..._

Her fingers tickled sensitive hairs on his chest and nape, and he bit his lip in order to keep himself silent. Her breath, her skin, her touch, the way she arched her hips and gasped his name drove him mad he was about to explode. When the moment came that he plunged into her world, she stifled a cry. As his flesh ground into her, she clawed her nails to his back in pain as a lone tear slid down her cheeks. In the back of her mind she heard him moan and speak her name, and something she wasn't able to comprehend in their tangle of touches.

"Sasuke!" It was a gasp. By now his body had a master of its own, and when he heard her moan his name he was ready to do anything at her bidding. She pulled him harder against her and the heat of his body comforted her. Overcome with desire, she wrapped her legs around his body as he came with her. The pain was pleasure itself, but it shattered her and it might be selfish of him, but he tried to suppress a smile when he knew it was her first.

For once, he let himself bare his soul, the weakness that was marked deep into his being. He wanted to hear it, the words that kept him alive during the hard years. He needed it just as he needed _her_.

"Tell me again, Sakura." His voice was hoarse with desire.

Sakura breathed softly into his ear, "I love you, Sasuke."

* * *

Morning came, but Sasuke wasn't completely dressed yet.

He sat in a chair in front of the bed, gazing intently at the sleeping form of a certain pink-haired kunoichi. He had been doing so the moment he woke up. Scanning his eyes across the room, he smirked at the mess they made then turned to the object of his attention the entire morning.

She was a mystery.

She was always the one who broke through his walls, and it annoyed him so much that he did not even give a single thought to his actions the previous night. He allowed himself another smirk before combing his hands through his hair.

After all was said and done, he couldn't kill her-not when, right now, she was the only living soul he knew who had come to care for him so much besides his late brother. Her words were one of the memories he wanted to keep, and he is not likely to admit it, but he remembered it more than he wanted to and it drove him to the edge. In times when he was alone, he pondered over why she said it to him, and until now, he couldn't understand why she did.

But if there was one thing he was sure of, he was certain that he had come close to knowing what it means.

Now that she had become an indelible part of him, he couldn't hurt her.

He just killed someone who cared for him so much. He wasn't about to make the same mistake in the same lifetime.

Standing up to leave, he slowly took the chair to the side, not wanting to create a single noise.

He stopped when he heard loud footsteps and voices coming from outside the door.

Tipping his head slightly, he waited for them to enter.

Sure enough, a certain red haired woman and a silver-haired man burst into the cabin noisily, straight into the room. Within moments Sasuke stood face to face with his teammates. Suigetsu looked particulary annoyed as he looked at Sasuke then turned to Karin.

"You worrywart, he's alive." It was directed to Karin, who stood panting beside him.

Karin smiled with relief. Even though she felt his chakra, she wanted to see him for herself. It was unbearable for only the two of them to stay together while he 'finish some business' with someone else. Her eyes scanned the room quickly to search for the other chakra she felt, then narrowed at the figure on the bed.

"She is still alive, Sasuke!" she angrily snapped. Suigetsu darted surprised glances to the half-dressed Sasuke, then the woman on the bed, then to his teammate. Then, in complete understanding, he wisely stood by the sidelines, not wanting to make a single move as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Karin was undaunted. Jealousy, anger and betrayal rose within her in a matter of seconds.

"Let me finish her for you."

Without waiting for his response, she began to approach the bed.

Suigetsu raised an interested eyebrow and turned to look at Sasuke.

Then he saw his eyes- the same eyes that made him fear him more than he was going to show. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and he wanted to pull Karin to safety but she was furious like a woman scorned.

"Do not touch her, Karin."

The dangerous calm in his voice made her stop. Her fury subsided conveniently, Karin immediately turned her back, muttering incoherent words through gritted teeth then went outside the door. Suigetsu and Sasuke followed suit.

He never turned back.

Suigetsu pulled the knob to close the door when he saw the woman stir in her sleep.

_Heh_.

Considering the way she made Sasuke look that way at them, she must be someone special. Suigetsu shrugged noncommittally then his forehead creased in the sudden revelation that dawned upon him. He must have been blind or stupid or both not to notice earlier.

He just found Sasuke's weakness.

* * *

Minutes later, a pink-haired kunoichi bolted upright from her sleep not minding the sudden spell of dizziness that threatened to overcome her. Quickly combing her fingers through her the mass of tangles that was her hair, she searched for something, someone.

A sad smile formed on her lips when she realised he was gone, but she had expected this to happen.

Sighing loudly, she inspected herself and was surprised to find out that she was wearing his white robe.

And she was sitting on her bed.

She unconsciously held hugged herself as she inhaled his scent.

The memory of last night made her insides squirm longing for something but she resolved to leave it at that. What happened was more than enough reason for her to go on living, knowing that, at the very least, she mattered to him.

She found another reason to smile when her dream suddenly came back to her vividly.

For the first time in years, it was a good dream.

.**END**.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you so much for those of you who read this story!

I am so sorry I know this is sooo late. I am really happy and really really grateful for those who took time to review. You guys are great. :) I'm thinking of making a continuation or something but I still don't know. Haha. I hope you enjoyed till the end. :)


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